Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) by J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman Page B
Authors: J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman
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like a sister to me.”
“I know that and you know that but Nicki didn’t. I saw her face after it happened. She was devastated.”
Gray shrugged, “But then since you don’t mean anything to each other, indeed you despise each other, why should she care, right, Rafe?”
Rafe turned away. He couldn’t look at Grayson. Grayson was right. He did know him as well as anyone in the world did except for Yuri. His gut clenched just thinking about Yuri and their telephone conversation. And right now both men were asking the same question. What the hell was he doing with Nicki? It was a damn good question and one he didn’t choose to answer. Even if he knew the answer.
“Gray, I have work to do. So do you. I don’t want to be rude but I don’t want to have this conversation. Now, or ever. If you’ll excuse me.”
He walked to the door preparing to leave.
Gray leaned back in his chair and puffed on his cigar.
“Open your eyes, Rafe. I saw her face. You did too. She was shattered.”
Rafe frowned and started pacing across the room twisting his head from side to side wishing he could get rid of the strain in his neck. That was unlikely. He’d had it since the evening with the Senator. He’d like to blame it on the kidnappings, the case. But he was more self-aware than that.
He leaned against the door to see Grayson studying him. Any semblance of humor on his friend’s face was long gone. His voice was quiet, intense.
“Let me ask you one thing, Rafe. If you can say no to this I will stop harassing you.”
Rafe’s gut tightened more. He knew what was coming.
“Tell me you haven’t come on to her. That you haven’t led her on. Let her think you want her. That you care about her.”
Rafe turned away not wanting Gray to see the truth. Fat chance. Gray was like a brother to him and he knew him like a goddamned book.
Grayson shook his head, and drove the knife in further.
“And if you might have done that, then tell me that you didn’t pull back, stop, and push her away without out telling her why. Instead, that you played the ‘I can’t take you card, because I’m an honorable asshole.’”
“Instead of just an asshole? Is that what you’re saying, Gray?”
“She’s vulnerable, Rafe. It’s painful to watch her, and you.”
Rafe shuddered. He’d rarely been ashamed of anything he’d done. But Gray was right. As always. Yeah, he’d seen her face. Hell he was haunted by it. And, yes, he was ashamed of himself.
He put up his hands in surrender. His voice was strained.
“You don’t know the half of it, Gray.”
“You don’t need to paint any pictures, buddy. I’ve seen the way you look at her. We all have.”
Rafe went back to his desk and sunk down in his chair. He pierced his friend with a ragged gaze.
“You do understand, Gray, there’s no way I can be with her. That there never can be anything between Nicki and me.”
“Because of Yuri?”
He shrugged, then remembering, Yuri’s distress, he nodded.
“You might want to talk with Yuri. Tell him how you feel about her. He might surprise you.”
Rafe flinched at the expression on Gray’s face. It was a mix of anger overlaid with compassion. A look that ate at Rafe’s soul. He knew what was coming now. Once again, Gray didn’t disappoint him.
“There’s more to it and you know it, Rafe. Someday, my man, you’re going to have to let go. Let go of what happened. Recognize you’re human, you’re not a god. You can’t prevent all the bad things that evil men do.”
Rafe glared at Gray, certain that his jaw was as rigid as Gray’s. But Grayson pressed on.
“When are you going to stop blaming yourself, refusing to live your life? Hell, to let yourself love someone?”
Rafe reached for his cigarette case. He removed a coffin nail and cupped a match to it. Leaning back in his chair he blew a cloud of smoke in the air. When it cleared and there was no barrier between him and Grayson, he leaned forward and drilled Gray with a
“I know that and you know that but Nicki didn’t. I saw her face after it happened. She was devastated.”
Gray shrugged, “But then since you don’t mean anything to each other, indeed you despise each other, why should she care, right, Rafe?”
Rafe turned away. He couldn’t look at Grayson. Grayson was right. He did know him as well as anyone in the world did except for Yuri. His gut clenched just thinking about Yuri and their telephone conversation. And right now both men were asking the same question. What the hell was he doing with Nicki? It was a damn good question and one he didn’t choose to answer. Even if he knew the answer.
“Gray, I have work to do. So do you. I don’t want to be rude but I don’t want to have this conversation. Now, or ever. If you’ll excuse me.”
He walked to the door preparing to leave.
Gray leaned back in his chair and puffed on his cigar.
“Open your eyes, Rafe. I saw her face. You did too. She was shattered.”
Rafe frowned and started pacing across the room twisting his head from side to side wishing he could get rid of the strain in his neck. That was unlikely. He’d had it since the evening with the Senator. He’d like to blame it on the kidnappings, the case. But he was more self-aware than that.
He leaned against the door to see Grayson studying him. Any semblance of humor on his friend’s face was long gone. His voice was quiet, intense.
“Let me ask you one thing, Rafe. If you can say no to this I will stop harassing you.”
Rafe’s gut tightened more. He knew what was coming.
“Tell me you haven’t come on to her. That you haven’t led her on. Let her think you want her. That you care about her.”
Rafe turned away not wanting Gray to see the truth. Fat chance. Gray was like a brother to him and he knew him like a goddamned book.
Grayson shook his head, and drove the knife in further.
“And if you might have done that, then tell me that you didn’t pull back, stop, and push her away without out telling her why. Instead, that you played the ‘I can’t take you card, because I’m an honorable asshole.’”
“Instead of just an asshole? Is that what you’re saying, Gray?”
“She’s vulnerable, Rafe. It’s painful to watch her, and you.”
Rafe shuddered. He’d rarely been ashamed of anything he’d done. But Gray was right. As always. Yeah, he’d seen her face. Hell he was haunted by it. And, yes, he was ashamed of himself.
He put up his hands in surrender. His voice was strained.
“You don’t know the half of it, Gray.”
“You don’t need to paint any pictures, buddy. I’ve seen the way you look at her. We all have.”
Rafe went back to his desk and sunk down in his chair. He pierced his friend with a ragged gaze.
“You do understand, Gray, there’s no way I can be with her. That there never can be anything between Nicki and me.”
“Because of Yuri?”
He shrugged, then remembering, Yuri’s distress, he nodded.
“You might want to talk with Yuri. Tell him how you feel about her. He might surprise you.”
Rafe flinched at the expression on Gray’s face. It was a mix of anger overlaid with compassion. A look that ate at Rafe’s soul. He knew what was coming now. Once again, Gray didn’t disappoint him.
“There’s more to it and you know it, Rafe. Someday, my man, you’re going to have to let go. Let go of what happened. Recognize you’re human, you’re not a god. You can’t prevent all the bad things that evil men do.”
Rafe glared at Gray, certain that his jaw was as rigid as Gray’s. But Grayson pressed on.
“When are you going to stop blaming yourself, refusing to live your life? Hell, to let yourself love someone?”
Rafe reached for his cigarette case. He removed a coffin nail and cupped a match to it. Leaning back in his chair he blew a cloud of smoke in the air. When it cleared and there was no barrier between him and Grayson, he leaned forward and drilled Gray with a
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